Automatic gate



(No Model.)

B. B. SP ITLER.

AUTOMATIG GATE.

Patented Feb], 18 82.

Fiy. 6.

In 1761? Z0!" Iolo-Lxlhogmphor. Washinglon. n. c

' Ni'ran STATES EPHRAIME. SPITLER, 0F AMITY, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC GATE.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 253,232, dated February'7, 1882.

Application filed September 27, 1880. (No model.)

T o'all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EPHRAIM E. SrrrLEn, ofAmity, in the county of lllontgomeryand State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Gates; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame.

My invention is an improvement in carriage way gates which areautomatically opened and closed by the passage of the carriagewheelsover the operating-trips.

The novelty of the invention consists in the construction andarrangement of the operating parts, as will be herein definitely setforth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of myimproved gate. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an invertedplan view of the lower hinge-bracket and operating-levers. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of one of the trips and its mechanism. Fig. 5 is adetached view of the latch-plate. Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of theupper hinge and its connections.

A represents the gate, of ordinary construction, and B and O thegate-posts, to the former of which the gate is hinged. The upper hingeis composed of a pintle, D, attached to the upper end of the gate, asshown, and engaging with an eye formed in an adjustable pivoted arm, E.This arm E is pivoted at (0 upon a horizontal semicircularbracket-plate, F, attached to the post B, and its rear end is enlargedat I), and serrated upon its under side to engage with correspondingserrations, 0, formed upon the plate F, as represented. A

thumb-screw, d, passing through a segmental slot, 6, in the enlarged endof the arm E, serves to clamp the arm to the plate. The purpose of thisconstruction is to enable the position of the upper hinge to be adjustedin order to equalize the swinging of the gate, and this is done bysimply looseningthe thumb-screw and setting the arm E by turning it uponits pivot to the required-position. When properly set the serrations arere-engaged and clamped by the thumb-screw.

The lower hinge consists of a bracket-pintle, G, attached to the lowerend of the gate, as

shown, and entering a double curved slot in.

the horizontal bracket-plate H, which is attached by bolts or otherwiseto the gate-post B. The shape of this double curved slot f is seen inFig. 3. W'hen the gate is closed the Between the racks t and tongues jis a re-- cess, 7.", cut out of each lever, through which the lower endof the pintle Gr passes; and upon each lever is a hooked finger, l, theone resting upon the other when the levers are in the position indicatedin Fig. 3, when the gate is closed. The operating-rods L extending fromthe trips have their inner ends attached in any suitable manner to therear ends of the levers J K. When either of the tripsis pressed towardthe gate by the wheels ot'an approaching vehicle the rod on that side ispushed forward, causing the lever J or K, as the case may be, to swingaround upon its pivot. As it turns the hooked finger l partlyencompasses and carries with it the pintle G out to the end m of theslot. This act-ion of the lever tilts the gate in such position that itswings open by its own gravity. Passing on through, the vehicle pressesthe other trip away from the gate, thus drawing on the rod and causingthe levers J and K to swing back to their former position and to carrythe pintle G with them, which action again throws the gate so that itswings shut again by its gravity. The trips M are ordinary single tripsarranged upon the side of the roadway in the usual or any suitablemanner. Each is provided with a crank-arm, n, from the upper extreinityof which chains 0 0 extend to either side, and are attached to the rodsL through adjusting-holesp by hooks r. -When the gate is closed theouter chains, 0, are taut, while the inner chains, 0, are slack. WVhenthe gate stands open the outer chains are slack and the inner ones taut.To hold the trips upright ready for the wheels of a vehicle at alltimes, I employ a weighted arm, P, pivoted in or to a post, R, at theside of the trips, and having a link, t, connecting the crank end of theweighted arm with the end of trip-cranks, as seen. When the trip ispressed down the weighted arm is raised, and when the trip is releasedthe weight of the arm returns it to an upright position, as will bereadily understood by reference to Fig. 4.

To latch the gate I employ the metal plate A, Figs. 1, 2, and 5, whichis bolted to the post 0 in any suitable manner, and contains upon itsfront face the horizontal ledge a, with depressed ends, and above thistwo segmental flanges, b, which serve as stops.

'Upon the gate is a spring-latch, B, of any suitable construction, withan operating-handie, 0, and an engaging nose,0. \Vhen the gate is closedthe nose of the latch is retained between the lower ends of thesegment-stops b and above the ledge a. When, however, the gate is tiltedby a vehicle this engagement is broken by the tilted position of thegate and it swings open. In closing, the nose of the latch strikeseither of the stops b, and is guided down under it until, passing itsend, it flies up and is caught in the concave side of the opposite stopand settles back between the two.

In opening the gate by hand the handle 0 is used in the ordinary way.Especial attention is called to the levers J and K, formerly described,the construction of which is such that while the one moves the other,yet there is lost motion in their enga genient, so that the one acted onby the rod moves a little in advance of the other. The purpose of thisis to cause the pintle G to be caught and carried by the advance lever,and thus always throw the gate away from the vehicle.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim- 1. In an automaticgate, the combination, with the lower pintle, G, and the operatingrodsL, of the slotted plate H, leversJ and K, meshing together with lostmotion, and having the hooked fingels l, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

2. In an automatic gate, the adjustable upper hinge, consisting of thepivoted arm E, with an enlarged serrated end, I), in combination withthe pintle D and bracket F, having corresponding serrations, andthumb-screw d, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the single trips M and operating-rods L, of theadjustable actuating-chains 0 0, Weighted lever P, and link t,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EPH RAIM E. S PITLER.

Witnesses:

OHAs. M. PEGK, E. H. TAYLOR.

